Robbie Purdon APTN News
Christine Jamieson teaches the Indigenous spirituality course that has been offered occasionally at Concordia University since 2015.

It’s become quite popular and will be a fulltime course this fall, as well as a mandatory class for a diploma in Christian spirituality.

“It is really recognizing that connection that we have with all living things and that includes, you know, the insects, the plants, non-human animals, the fish, the water, the sky, the moon, the earth,” said Jamieson, an associate professor.

Part of the class includes a trip to the longhouse in Kahnawake where students meet Elder Kevin Deer.

“Basically I just give them an overview about who we are. So I talk a little bit about the creation story and what does that mean, how it gives us an understanding about how we understand the world,” said Deer.

Laura Boivin is in the course this year and says she appreciates the different teaching methods.

“We’ve definitely covered an understanding of the concept of inter-relational world and a spiritual realm of everyone and everything being connected and everything being equal and valuable without there being a sense of hierarchy,” said Boivin.